Front Page News!

After posting some of the photographs taken for this project on a popular Lego / Bionicle message board (TTV Message Boards), I've made the front page!

Videos & Evaluation

The 6 videos I have made for the final piece of this project can be found in the playlist below - preceded by a 'teaser' trailer which was made exclusively for my YouTube channel to alert my audience of the coming uploads - as I have not uploaded over a year.

Once you click play, the videos will play one after the other until the playlist is over. Alternatively, to skip through, you can use the arrows either side of the play/pause button on the lower left to navigate through - though I recommend watching them as a whole.

Evalutation

My original aim for my final piece of this project was to create a set of six videos which would appropriately represent one of my MOCs ,based on the personality traits I have created for them during and after the building process, via the use of music, editing and photography. I feel that I have done this successfully, in a way that is watchable for both fans of Bionicle and non-fans, with viewers able to appreciate aspects of the video outside of the Bionicle featured in the video. Another one of my goals was to include more texture, which I have also done, via the fuzzy / lined glitch effect brought over from the 'OZKABOT' intro. I think this has been successful, in that it adds some more variation to the video itself, but doesn't not impede the visibility of the MOC for viewers.

However, I think the videos could have been improved by maybe some more visual effects, such as adjusting the clarity. I used a similar technique by using high contrast at certain points, but I think it may need some more to set itself apart from my previous work. That said, it could distract too much from the MOC itself.

Eleos Photographs

As explained in my Aidos photographs post, both Eleos and Aidos were photographed on the same day, and as such both suffered from the same initial lighting issues. I was able to fix this for the most part in photoshop, having to scrap any that were beyond repair. Outside of the technical issues, I think Eleos's photographs turned out more successful that Aidos. I think this may be due to the weapons, as Eleos feature some very unique but not unwieldy weapons that made her more challenging to photograph - despite it taking some getting used to at first. I made sure to focus a lot of close-ups on her weapons, mainly the tentacle-like part which connects to her back, as this is something I have not seen done before, so I wanted to make sure that I drew attention to it.

These are the raw photographs, shot in JPEG on a DSLR with manual settings. Totally unedited.

Google drive link to photos:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8qlnydNYVfuN3VYM05wcndRaGc

There are less edited photographs than the raw versions, as some were scrapped during the editing process. In order to make these their current state, I have increased their contrast, saturation and cropped them down to 1920 x 1080.

Google drive link to photos:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8qlnydNYVfuMGg0TEk1MEhqUVk

Aidos Photographs

I found Aidos especially difficult to shoot. This is primarily due to the MOCs top-heaviness and giant weapons, which do not allow for a wide range of poses. As a result of this, I ended up relying a lot more on close-ups and many of the full body sots were too similar for my liking. Another problem I faced was that the lighting was too dark, I think because the studio flash wasn't bright enough. Due to this, the usually white background came out grey, which I had to adjust in photoshop with the 'magic lasso' tool which automatically selects a an area, stopping were there is  a dramatic shift in colour. To make it worse, I broke one of my own rules and shot Eleos on the same day, so I had to do the same editing process for two batches of photographs. Fun!

These are the raw photographs, shot in JPEG on a DSLR with manual settings. Totally unedited.

Google drive link to photos:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8qlnydNYVfucGtGbTFiWmVENDQ

There are less edited photographs than the raw versions, as some were scrapped during the editing process. In order to make these their current state, I have increased their contrast, saturation and cropped them down to 1920 x 1080.

Google drive link to photos:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8qlnydNYVfuaVN2V1pyb1U2RUE

Phobos Photographs

Previously I intended to keep the low angle shots exclusive to Polemos, however upon beginning to photograph Phobos, his overall structure lent itself well to low angle shots. His large shoulders and giant hammer clearly imply a powerful warrior, so I don't think I could properly do the MOC justice without giving it that extra sense of power. The thing to keep in mind is most people who watch the video will NEVER see the MOC in person, so it's important to occasionally exaggerate to get the point across.

These are the raw photographs, shot in JPEG on a DSLR with manual settings. Totally unedited.

Google drive link to photos:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8qlnydNYVfuVzRGQWdSSmNTUTg

There are less edited photographs than the raw versions, as some were scrapped during the editing process. In order to make these their current state, I have increased their contrast, saturation and cropped them down to 1920 x 1080.

Google drive link to photos:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8qlnydNYVfuN2d1QWljYVZlVkE

Thrasos Photographs

The photographs I've taken for Thrasos make use of more shot types shared by Kratos rather than Polemos, as I want to set Polemos apart with the low angle shots. One of the main differences is that Thrasos's weaponry is more defensive, conveyed by his shield, so I focussed more-so on poses in defensive positions (e.g. hiding behind his shield) - whereas Polemos and Kratos were more offensive. I think today's shoot turned out well, even though the photographs weren't particularly unique when compared to previous shoots. I hope being edited into a video will help to make each one feel more unique.

These are the raw photographs, shot in JPEG on a DSLR with manual settings. Totally unedited.

Google drive link to photos:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8qlnydNYVfuamFRVGl2RDZBQkk

There are less edited photographs than the raw versions, as some were scrapped during the editing process. In order to make these their current state, I have increased their contrast, saturation and cropped them down to 1920 x 1080.

Google drive link to photos:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8qlnydNYVfudWRUSXpDdzBGS0U

Polemos Photographs

For this MOC I wanted to experiment with some low angle shots. Story wise, he is the strongest of the 6 Harbingers, so I wanted to put him in a position of power to portray that. Polemos isn't the tallest of the group, however, hopefully, the photography and the video will portray him as otherwise. I think this shoot went more successfully than yesterday, as I put more focus on full body shots this time around, so now I have an equal variation of shot types. I was also able to sneak in a photograph resembling the box-art of the set it's inspired by; Onua Toa of Earth, released in 2001. Comparison below.

These are the raw photographs, shot in JPEG on a DSLR with manual settings. Totally unedited.

Google drive link to photos:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8qlnydNYVfuZnMtZWtSbmQxUFE

There are less edited photographs than the raw versions, as some were scrapped during the editing process. In order to make these their current state, I have increased their contrast, saturation and cropped them down to 1920 x 1080.

Google drive link to photos:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8qlnydNYVfuMTRqbUMtNFlYWk0

Kratos Photographs

This is my first shoot, and overall I'm happy with the results. I think I captured the overall build of the MOC and some of the smaller details - however a macro lens would probably be more appropriate for showing the intricacies of the build. I also could have shot some more full body shots, as many of the photos I have currently cut off the lower legs / feet, and that will make it difficult to get a feel for the entire thing. This is something for me to take into consideration for my next MOC shoot.

These are the raw photographs, shot in JPEG on a DSLR with manual settings. Totally unedited.

Google drive link to photos:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8qlnydNYVfubHhjMjhtNFRCTnc

There are less edited photographs than the raw versions, as some were scrapped during the editing process. In order to make these their current state, I have increased their contrast, saturation and cropped them down to 1920 x 1080.

Google drive link to photos:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8qlnydNYVfuU1NHbzNCZHduRG8

Title-Cards

For all of my MOC video starting from January 2016, I have included a 15 - 30 second intro for each MOC, which shows a stylized nametag / title-card which gives some build-up to the MOC. I have received some criticism based on this, however I think it makes the video more effective. Having that build up almost works to build hype for the MOC, and also sets up the 'drop' which is where the first photograph is shown.

Some examples of title cards I've made for previosu videos can be seen below:

Unlike my previous MOCs who have all had a unique title-card font, The Harbingers will all be using the same font, as I want to show that they're part of a group rather than on their own. Due to this, it was important that I capture the two key elements of the Harbingers: Cybernetic and Tribal.

I have used Kratos's title-card as an example.

This is my initial design, which went in the Greek direction as a result of The Harbingers being named after Greek personified concepts. I wasn't too happy with how this turned out. While it captures the Greek theme, it lacks any real energy to it. Also, while it ties into the name, it doesn't suit the visual aesthetic of the MOCs.

For my second design, I thought I'd try something with a little more energy to it. This certainly looks tribal, and looks striking, but I can see it being hard to read. As my videos will be reaching a variety of people, I want to make sure to the best of my abilities nobody is left out, so to speak.

This is my third and final design - also by far my favourite. It has a technological theme to it, but also an ancient look. I a can see it being used in an ancient but technologically advanced civilisation. Its simplicity makes it easy to read, more-so than previous versions, but it has a sense of complexity to it as a result of the intricate details within the text. Perfect!

Sometimes it's the case that a font works really well with one set of colours, but not for another. Luckily that wasn't the case here though, as the text is just as striking with the other 6 colour combinations. The other 5 final title-cards can be seen below.

Camera Research

Resolution:

Resolution shows how many megapixels there are in an image. The higher the resolution the higher quality. 1080p is considered HD, and 2k / 4k are considered 'ultra' HD. If there are less pixels the image will be less smooth and be blocky or blurred. The best PPI to print at is 300. The higher PPI the higher quality the image will be.

While higher resolution does look a lot better on larger screens, if you look at higher quality images on a smaller screen or player (e.g. turning a youtube video onto 1080p but not putting it in full screen) it can cause jagged edges and an image which looks very rough.

RAW vs JPEG:

RAW photographs have less contrast, look more washed out and are less saturated than JPEGs. They are also not suitable for printing straight from the camera. JPEGs are sharper than RAW images. Having shot with a camera that takes RAW images, i often have to increase the contrast and levels in post in order to get a better looking image. RAW file sizes are also much larger than JPEGs, meaning more photos can be taken when using JPEG. Shooting in RAW also means that you can correct mistakes once they have been imported into a computer easier than when using a JPEG, meaning you have much more control over how your image looks.

ISO

ISO is the level of sensitivity of your camera to light. The lower that the ISO is the less sensitive your camera is to light, whereas the higher the ISO the more sensitive it will be to light. A lower ISO (100 – 400) works best in high key lighting situations while higher ISO settings (3200 – 6400) work better in situations where there is low key lighting.  The ISO also has no effect on the amount of blur that will be caused when moving it, so it is good to use a higher ISO instead of a lower shutter speed when in dark areas if you don’t have a tripod or anything to put the camera on to keep it steady.

Shutter Speed

High ISO can cause noise and a grainer image quality, so in some cases it would be better to use a lower shutter speed given that you have a tripod or something to support the camera, since lower shutter speed can cause more blur if moved even slightly. For handheld you should never use a shutter speed lower than 1 / 60th. Lower shutter speed also has no effect on image quality, only lighting, so there well be no noise or graininess on the photograph. Also, a higher shutter speed lets less light in, while a lower one lets more light in. A very high shutter speed like 1 / 1000th is also used to freeze action.

Aperture

Aperture is a hole within the lens which lets light travel through into the camera body – the size of this hole controls the amount of light let through and the depth of field.  Depth of field is what controls what is in focus and what is blurred. A small aperture (f22 – f11) means that the depth of field will be large and a large (f2.8 – f5.6) aperture means the depth of field will be small. A larger aperture also lets more light in, while a smaller aperture lets less light in. A small aperture is useful in high light situations in which you want only the image in the foreground to be in focus. Using a large aperture in high key lighting situations means the image can be under exposed, but the entire image will be in focus. If you want to use a larger aperture in high key lighting situations you should lower the ISO, or lower the shutter speed if you have a tripod.

Video & Photography Planning

PHOTOGRAPHY

The aim for photographing MOCs is to get a good variation of full body shots, action shots and close-ups - hopefully successfully portraying the range of articulation and basic build of the MOC, for viewers on YouTube who may want to build the MOC or parts of the MOC for their own. This variation should make for a more interesting video than if I just used full body shots or close-ups. This is comparable to in a film scene, in which the camera will cut to different angles or close shots in order to better portray what is going on within the scene.

I aim for each video to be 1 - 2 minutes in length, as in the past I have found that videos over 2 minutes tend to drag on too much, while videos under 1 minute generally don't give enough time to really get to know the MOC - unless the MOC is particularly small. This is generally enough time to fit all of the best photographs in, for which I should be shooting 50 - 100 initially. Any less than this  there generally aren't enough shots unless its a very short video, and any more is usually excessive. Going over 100 I tend to start shooting the same sort of picture multiple times -  usually progressively worse as I get more tired, and it becomes a waste of time. This is why I only photograph one MOC at a time, as the process is incredibly tiring, and after a certain point the photographs are generally subpar.

VIDEO

As mentioned earlier, the videos should be around 1 - 2 minutes in length. The song I use will have some influence on this, however this time around I would like to put more focus on editing the music, as this is something I have not done frequently before, and I want to take this opportunity to step out of my comfort zone. Another way I'd like to shake up the videos a little this time around is add some visual effects over the video. After working on my A2 Art: Coursework video last year, which was absolutely loaded with effects, I want to see where else some subtle effects could work. I have done this somewhat in the intro for the YouTube channel I'll be uploading these videos on, OZKABOT.

Towards the start, there is a slight glitch effect, so perhaps this is something I could bring into the rest of the video at certain points. It would be important not to use it excessively, as overuse would take away from the effect, making it an annoyance that impedes visibility of the MOC more than anything else.

Photography Project Intentions & Introduction

For this photography project I ma planning on taking photographs of some of my Bionicle MOCs, and editing those photographs into videos. I have been producing content like this for a few years now, however I would like to use this opportunity to add a more artistic flare to the videos.


Below are some examples of some of these videos I've made in the past.

The MOCs I have selected are The Harbingers - Six MOCs which I have been working on for around two years now. During that time I've had the opportunity to consider their backstory and personality, which is something I do during the building process, as it helps me to refine the design.


The specific Harbingers and their personality traits can be seen below:


Kratos, Harbinger of Fire
The official leader of the Harbingers and the most skilled in close quarters combat, Kratos harnessed the element of fire via his Flame sword. While slightly arrogant, he was respected by the rest of the Harbingers for his leadership skills and fighting expertise.
Thrasos, Harbinger of Ice
Thrasos was the quietest and most laid back of the Harbingers, interfering only when required. His fighting style and use of the element of ice revolved around defense and preferred to stand guard rather that interfere with confrontations directly.
Polemos, Harbinger of Earth
Polemos was the most physically strong of the Harbingers, and also the wisest. Lacking any long range weapons, he used his claws to travel underground and ambush his opponents. While his power was unrivaled, he identified most with Thrasos, due to their shared reluctance to get directly involed with confrontations.
Phobos, Harbinger of Stone
Phobos was a close second in terms of strength, and, like Kratos, reveled in combat. Short tempered and easily frustrated, Phobos was often the cause of most confrontations, however, also quick to finish them.
Aidos, Harbinger of Air
Out of all the Harbingers, Aidos was the most feared and respected in combat. Outside of confrontations she would usually be found wisecracking and doing her best to annoy the other harbingers, however, while in combat her mastery over the element of air made her a truly formidable opponent, even though her melee combat skills were still surpassed by Kratos - who she had the most respect for, especially in combat.
Eleos, Harbinger of water
Eleos harnessed the element of water and was the only Harbinger capable of combat underwater without any additional apparatus. She had an additional two tentacle-like limbs sprouting from her back that allowed her to swim with great speed - as well as doubling as blades in combat.


All of the Harbingers names are inspired by Greek personified concepts, and all intentionally end with "os", which can also be read as the acronym "OS", which means "Operating System" (e.g. Windows, Mac, Linux). A play on the fact that they're robots.